Rosemary
by psychicbunny
Summary: Sakura finds herself caring for an unlikely prisoner. A story about friendship, love, and duty, told in memories. Naruto x Sakura x Juugo
1. Elusive

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

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**Elusive**

Like a snake, Sasuke once again slipped away from Konoha's grasp. Even with numerous elite shinobi targeting him and him only, his skills and tricks proved advanced enough for him to slither through the cracks of battle and evade capture. He would forever be a snake: a large vermin in the backyard that significantly disturbed the peace, but too clever of a pest to be disposed by the traps of others. Sakura would have cried at this latest failed attempt had her pride not prevented her, and she returned concerned expressions with her steely resolve. Never again. She felt anger, hot, ugly anger rising and tossing its proud mane in her chest. To cry in front of all these men would only validate their misogynistic prejudices and waste her energy that should be focused on healing the injured. She could feel Tenzou's wonderment, Naruto's shock, and Sai's approval as she focused her chakra and mind onto healing the wounds instead of deepening by means of self-flagellation.

The battle had not been fruitless, however. In the midst of the bustle, the Konoha nin regrouping and receiving needed treatment, lay an unconscious man, bounded and guarded in a careful manner that marked him as prisoner. Every time she looked at him, her heart cried; he looked so young, so untouched by the world, yet when he fought, he was a monster. She wondered what stories he would have to tell…and what secrets would be forced from him.

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	2. Charity

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

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**Charity**

As the chief medic, it was her responsibility to ensure that the captive would be fit enough for interrogation upon arrival. Though she disagreed with their methods of information extraction, it was her duty to aid them, and she dutifully attended to his wounds, but he remained unconscious as she bound and rebound his wounds. It was for the better, perhaps, that he remained unaware to the pain he would be subjected to, and that she remained unaware as to the personality of this captive. If she were to find him distasteful, there would be no captive fit for interrogation; if she were to take pity on him, there would be regrets on her part for not being strong enough to defy orders in order to remain true to her humanity. It would be for the better that they never interacted beyond the required.

Shortly before arrival at Konoha, he roused from his sleep. "Where…am I?" he asked hesitantly, his voice cracking at the last two syllables.

Despite the stares and scrutiny of the others, Sakura unscrewed her canteen and handed it to him. "Here, drink some water. We'll be in Konoha soon."

He took the canteen, his brilliant, gentle eyes studying her. "Thank you, Sakura-san." And her heart wept.

* * *


	3. Duty

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Duty**

The last few miles to Konoha he walked on his own, encircled by elite shinobi, hands bound and chakra monitored. She was the only one who dared to walk next to him for it was, as she insisted, her duty. It was her duty to ensure his consciousness and coherence for Ibiki. Naruto was bewildered as to why she would want to walk next to him considering her feelings for Sasuke and demanded that he be allowed to perform a preliminary round of questioning, but before the situation became more sensitive, Sai and Tenzou extracted Naruto.

She looked at him, her smile tight and forced, resembling a grimace more than a smile. "What's your name?"

"Juugo," he replied, a blush coloring his voice.

"And how do you know my name, Juugo-san?"

He was silent for a few moments. "If it's any consolation to you…Sasuke talked about you quite fondly."

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	4. Truth

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Truth**

Naruto barged into her office, and without preamble, he began to outline his plan. "They're having trouble interrogating him because he flashes into his crazy killer mode. If you use your medical expertise and kick-ass personality, you'll be able to calm him down, and in no time, we'll get it straight from him what Sasuke's plans are!"

"I don't think the Village Council will agree to that unless it means they first get a chance to assassinate Sasuke. They've always been keen on disposing the Uchiha Clan."

"But Kakashi-sensei's the Hokage now, and he'll get them to agree!" Naruto chirped.

Remembering Sai's words, Sakura murmured, "Naruto, Sasuke's not coming home."

In the middle of one of his triumphant hops, Naruto spun around. "Huh? What are you saying, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura watched her teammate—and according to the gossip, her romantic interest—with a lingering sadness. "He's not coming home no matter how much we try to drag him back. If he comes back, it'll be on his own terms and not by our efforts." She saw Naruto's crestfallen reaction, and before he could say a word, she continued, "…and don't feel that you have to drag him back because of any stupid promises."

"Wha? Sakura-chan, what are you sa—"

She saw Naruto's grinning face from that day and heard his promises that he would bring Sasuke home. "I'm not going to stop hoping that Sasuke will come home, but it's not worth the injuries and lives to keep trying to force him back."

Naruto reached out and grabbed her hands. "Sakura-chan…" he mumbled while staring into her eyes, his eyes unseeing.

"I've seen and accepted the truth, Naruto. It's best that we do…the sooner we do, the sooner we can move into the future."

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	5. Order

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Order**

Kakashi strolled in, lone eye fixated on his book, yet somehow avoiding all the obstacles that lined the path to her desk. "Sakura, I have an important mission of sorts for you," he said before snapping his book shut.

It must be serious for Kakashi-sensei to address me without having his book open, Sakura mused as she checked off the last few boxes on the paper. "What is it, Hokage-sama?" she asked before she began to sort the mounds of paperwork decorating her desk. With each passing week, it was becoming easier and easier to address him as Hokage-sama; during the first week, she had called him Kakash-sensei far more times than Hokage-sama, and during the following weeks, she had awkwardly identified him as "KakashhhHHokage-sama."

Kakashi looked out the window before he began, almost as though he were looking to the gods for strength. "We're having trouble interrogating the prisoner."

"The prisoner…which one?" Sakura hummed, and as she said those words, her mind did a double-take. Of course, _that_ prisoner; who else? Embarrassed, she looked at Kakashi, hoping that her embarrassment did not show through on her face. "You mean Juugo."

"Ah…yes…him. _Juugo_ seems to be his name, according to you. We haven't gotten that from him yet, considering that he transforms whenever one of our shinobi approaches him."

"Oh. Ummm…"

Kakashi sighed, long and hard, "Sakura, I need you to study his transformation and analyze his anatomy during such. If there's a way to counter his transformation, we need to find out. Each day that passes without an interrogation is giving Sasuke that much more of a head start. Frankly, so many days have passed that Sasuke could be anywhere in the world by now and we wouldn't be able to track him, considering how well he covers his tracks."

Sakura eyed Kakashi suspiciously. "Did Naruto talk to you?"

"No…" Kakashi trailed off, confusion evident in his voice.

"Oh, just wondering. Yes, I will do it Hokage-sama. Anything you require of me," she replied, smiling, as she handed him a mountain of finished paperwork. "And here, I decided to finish these for you considering they were due a week ago."

"Ah, thank yo—_oooffff_. That's heavy," he said, voice muffled, "I'll go and hand these in. After all, a girl with muscles like yours can't carry something this heavy around. Leave it to me, a man with muscles, to do it for you."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. Have a good day," she cheerfully called out after him. As Kakashi exited with infinitely less grace than before, Sakura wondered if the gods were playing some massive game, or joke, with her life. To where would this order from Kakashi lead her?

* * *


	6. Impressions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

And much thanks to **VALLED** for reading and reviewing so faithfully!

* * *

**Impressions**

As Sakura made her way through the dark, dank building that was Torture and Interrogation, she wondered who would not go crazy in a place like this. The unrelenting concrete walls were bare and ominous, and they promised days upon days of solitary confinement. Today, she heard nothing, but during previous visits, from the hallways she could hear the shrieks of prisoners under interrogation. Despite their imposing solitude, at times the walls seemed paper-thin; she had asked one of Ibiki's assistants why, and he answered offhandedly that allowing prisoners to hear the pain of others under interrogation often tested their resolve, thus making them easier to break. She had shuddered after he gave his answer, so nonchalantly and detached; prisoners or not, these were _people_.

The worst, however, was the smell. Hospitals smelled bad enough to her, but this was far worse. The odor of a hospital was that of too much detergent, and it hinted at illness and sometimes death, but the stank of this building was pain and lost humanity, and it seemed to promise death. She avoided coming to T&I as much as possible, but due to her medical expertise, she found herself here more often then she would like. The sinister atmosphere and stench of this place was either a testament to the men and women who worked here and their ability to endure and separate their work from their lives, or a testament to the twisted personalities who inhabited here and were able to drive others to madness.

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	7. Beautiful

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Beautiful**

In the darkness where others lurked, he glowed, radiating naivety even though he sat bounded to a chair, his hands behind him. His brilliant eyes locked onto hers, and he smiled. "Hello, Sakura-san," he said gently, almost happily, until he saw the expressions on Ibiki and the assistant's faces as they stood against the wall farthest from him. "Oh…I'm sorry that I haven't addressed you properly, Sakura-san. Sasuke never mentioned your surname."

Despite the company surrounding her, she smiled, bright and wide. "Don't worry about that, Juugo. Now, what's this about your transformations?"

A panicked expression suddenly appeared on his countenance. "Sakura-san, you need to get out of here before I accidentally transform."

"Don't worry about that, I'm a strong girl," she laughed. "I'm here to see what I can do about your transformations and preventing them. I'm a medic, you see."

"A medic…but you heal. How would you be able to help me?"

She tapped a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "Well…if I study the chemical reactions in your blood and anatomical changes that occur during the transformation, I may be able to counter them."

"Oh," his child-like, brilliant eyes staring at her in wonderment. "That's why I went to Orochimaru-sama."

"What?" she asked, caught off-guard. So he was like Sasuke; he had willingly gone to Orochimaru, probably after being coaxed with promises of unbelievable strength and power, but little did they realize, it would not be true power that belonged to them.

He cleared his throat as though he were embarrassed. "I went to Orochimaru-sama because he promised me he would cure me of these rages. I never was able to, and still really can't, control these transformations, and I don't want to continue accidentally hurting those around me. Orochimaru-sama said that he would have Kabuto-san cure me, but after a while, they deemed me impossible and said the only way to ensure that I would not harm others was to lock me away."

"Oh God, you poor thing…"

"If you were so afraid of hurting others, then why did you leave Sound with Uchiha Sasuke?" Ibiki asked harshly. "If Orochimaru could not control you, what made you think Uchiha Sasuke could control a monster like you?"

She saw him wilt from the question. Placing a soft hand on his shoulder, she reassured him, "You're not a monster, Juugo. It's not your fault that you can't control it." She felt Ibiki and his assistant stiffen from her words; Ibiki from her rebuking her words, and therefore, his authority, and his assistant from the compassion she was showing.

He looked up to her and replied, "Kimimaro died for Sasuke. That's why I went with him. Sasuke could calm me with his Sharingan…every time I lost myself, Sasuke would pull me back with his Sharingan."

"Have you ever noticed any pattern with your transformations? Was there ever anything common with your transformations?"

He sat, pondering, in silence for a few moments. "When I was younger, not really, but recently, it was whenever someone made me angry. Really, really angry."

"Can you give me any examples?"

"Last month, in Mist, we stayed at an inn," Juugo began. "The innkeeper seemed nice enough, but he tipped us off to the Mist authorities. That time was the worst." He did not say anything about the aftermath, but Sakura could guess what had happened. For someone who seemed so gentle, so kind, so naïve, it was hard to believe that he could transform into a raging beast.

Perhaps she was too compassionate for her own good, but his genuine sentiments and kind heart resonated with her own, and a pang rang throughout her core as she mulled over his words. She placed both of her hands on his shoulders, staring directly into his brilliant eyes. "I will help you, Juugo, I swear. I will find a cure for you."

"Thank you, Sakura-san. Thank you."

"Thank me when I've found the cure," she replied with a smile. She turned to find her medical kit so that she could draw a blood sample from him, but his words stopped her. "Sasuke was right."

"What?"

"Sasuke always said that you were the most caring and gentle person he ever knew. He also said that you were the most beautiful, and that always made Karin really mad, but," he continued with a blush, "Sasuke was right."

* * *


	8. Oddity

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Oddity**

Sakura had not even said one word to Kakashi when Naruto barged into the Hokage's office. "So what's the verdict?"

"Some respect for my office, please, Naruto," Kakashi noted before turning back to Sakura. "Like what Naruto asked…what's your verdict?"

"Physiological, caused by enzymes," Sakura replied firmly. Seeing Kakashi's skepticism and Naruto's confusion, she elaborated, "Chemical therapy will help control his transformation. I requested a heavy-duty analysis of his blood sample, as well as various other tests on his brain function, and nothing's come back abnormal except for the presence of an unidentified enzyme, which will take me more time to study. The only other thing is that his testosterone levels are higher than average, but not nearly high enough to be a problem—if I were to test either you or Naruto, your testosterone levels would probably clock in around the same amount."

"I'm flattered," Kakashi drawled while Naruto responded with a "Huh?"

It seemed that laymen's terms would have to do, and Sakura asked herself why she found Simple Wikipedia to be so irritating when she was simplifying her medical jargon every day. "High levels of testosterone, which is what makes you male, makes people more aggressive, but also more stupid. That's why people convicted of violent crimes such as rape tend to have low intelligence."

"So that means that…"

"It means that though Juugo's testosterone levels are on the higher side, his obvious intelligence and gentle personality, not to mention that the two of you probably have similar levels of testosterone, it's not what's causing his sudden fits of rage."

"Uhhh…Sakura-chan…" Naruto hedged.

"Yes?"

"I thought this stuff made me a male," he said, gesturing to a general region below his waist and above his knees. Sakura saw that Kakashi was struggling to contain his laughter, and she swore she heard the ANBU guarding Kakashi snickering.

"_IDIOT_. Testosterone is what gave you those parts when you were in your mom's belly, and those parts also produce testosterone to keep you male," Sakura hissed while smacking Naruto upside the head. "Didn't anyone ever explain sexual development to you? Don't tell me you don't know how babies are made."

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but Kakashi interrupted him, seeing as how furious Sakura was and he did want his air-conditioned office intact to work in tomorrow. "So you're positive it's this enzyme? And you will need more time to study it?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. For now, I'm not positive what reaction the enzyme is catalyzing."

"Well, then, it's your case," Kakashi told her before drawing out his little orange book and flipping it open to where he had left off. "Do whatever you deem necessary."

"What? It's my case? But—"

"It's your duty to ensure his stability so that we may properly interrogate him," Kakashi repeated. "Do whatever you think will get the job done. Analysis is one of your stronger points, and you're the only one I trust to get this done."

Sakura thought for a moment about the parameters to the orders. Anything she deemed necessary…? "Yes, Hokage-sama," she replied after a moment. "I will get this done."

* * *


	9. Hokage

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Hokage**

Sakura thought about Kakashi as Hokage as she watched the sun set, painting the sky with its brilliant colors. When she was younger, she never had thought that her tardy, porn-reading, freeloading teacher could one day be Hokage. Being Hokage had changed little about Hatake Kakashi: he was still always late, still perverted, and still pushed off as much work as possible to his subordinates, but when it counted, he was there and he always managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It seemed that Uchiha Obito had given Kakashi more than just an eye; his death had given Kakashi a dogged determination to keep going.

For a man with so many flaws, he was the best choice for Hokage, in Sakura's opinion. He was already turning out to be a much better leader than Danzou. Unlike Danzou, who had lived, breathed, and died for war, Kakashi understood the value of peace.

* * *


	10. Prerogative

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Prerogative**

"No. He's mine. We'll crack him eventually." The words _what can you do you're just a girl_ hung heavily off of Ibiki's words.

Sakura glowered at Ibiki. "If you have a problem with this, take it up with Hokage-sama. Hokage-sama's exact words were 'Do whatever you deem necessary,' and I deem this the necessary and appropriate course."

"I know you've never liked T&I, but—"

"Morino, save your chauvinism for a conversation with someone who will give a damn. I am not doing this to spite you and your precious thumbscrews. I am doing this because the Hokage made it my mission to stabilize the captive for questioning. Once again, if you have a problem with my methods, take it up with the Hokage and his orders."

Morino Ibiki remained as he was, and Sakura decided to play her trump card. "Very well then, I will go and tell Hokage-sama that his subordinates decided to question his authority because they could not set aside personal prejudices, thus preventing me from performing my mission and duty—"

Ibiki slammed his hands onto the metal table, making it sing and reverberate with resentment. "Fine. But when he loses control and kills civilians, it will not be on my head."

Sakura smiled to increase Ibiki's ire. "Thank you, Ibiki, and I will be sure to let Hokage-sama know of your cooperation. He will be most pleased."


	11. Angel

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Angel**

Juugo raised his head when he heard feet shuffling before the door to his cell. Were they here to interrogate him again? He told himself not to lose control when people came for these were not the same people who had rained senbon upon Sasuke, slashed Suigetsu across the chest, and thrown Karin so hard into a tree that it had knocked her unconscious, but his instincts would not listen to him. The only time he had not lost control was when he had sensed her coming. Sasuke would never forgive him if he hurt that precious childhood teammate—or sweetheart, Suigetsu had snickered at one point.

The door swung open, and Juugo prepared to lose himself to his raging animalistic side, but the wide green eyes stopped him. What was she doing here?

She smiled at him, a wide, sunny, unrestrained smile, and the dim light of the hallway, bright to him after hours in a pitch-black cell, cast a halo about her. "Come with me," she said, "I'm getting you out of here.

* * *


	12. Row

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Row**

"Are you _crazy_?!?!" Naruto screeched, "What were you thinking, having that freak of nature living with you in your apartment?!?!"

"I knew you were ugly, but I didn't think you were that stupid," Sai remarked blithely as he held Naruto by the collar. "I would have to concur with Naruto on this one…what were you thinking? Well, obviously you weren't, but why?"

She threw her hands up into the air in frustration. The two people she had thought would understand her actions and motives did not, despite the fact that they had spent their lives in solitude, forced into isolation by others. "Because I have a heart. Because I am compassionate. I know what loneliness can do to people. If we're going to get him to talk, it's not by making him go crazy."

"Well, it's not like we can make him any crazier."

"_Naruto_!" she yelled, "you of all people should know how it feels like to be deemed a monster, a demon that should be forced from society!" Seeing Naruto's reaction made her regret her words; seeing Sai's disapproving glare made her shrink in shame.

* * *


	13. Artistry

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

The last of the short chapters for a while...longer chapters are on the way!

* * *

**Artistry**

Although he would never admit it to anyone else, Sakura's apartment was one of Sai's favorite places in Konoha. His artist's eye allowed him to fully appreciate Sakura's ornate style of decorating and her tendency towards a colorful palette, and his heart appreciated the comfort and warmth that her place emanated. While his apartment was bare, cold, and sterile, hers was filled with bookcases overloaded with massive tomes and random pictures of happy memories, comfortable seats covered with throws, and random bowls filled with flowers and fruit. Her place was a true home.

He smiled as he stood in her den, observing all the marks of her personality, until he saw a foreign, decidedly male sweatshirt that was far too large to be Naruto's or his. He frowned as he thought of the latest male to enter into Sakura's life. He knew that many males considered her a prized catch and had seen firsthand their attempts to woo her, but he also knew of her feelings towards Naruto and his towards her even though the two denied such affections. He wondered what this latest intruder would mean for their relationship. Watching Sakura and Naruto's relationship was like painting a masterpiece; though he could feel that the end result would be magnificent, the tortuous path to the finished product was frustrating and filled with many obstacles. At times, he seriously doubted that the masterpiece would be completed at all for all artists had unfinished works.

Sai stared at the sweatshirt for few more seconds before reverting his attention to Sakura and Naruto squabbling in the kitchen, with Juugo standing a foot away from them and watching their argument in confusion. Only time would tell.

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	14. Intuition

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Intuition**

Kakashi looked up from his novel to see Shizune enter into his office. With Tsunade, bless that woman, gone, Shizune had chosen to lead Konoha's shinobi hospital while Sakura mostly stayed to help him through the administrative tasks of being Hokage, though she helped at the hospital several times a week. When Sakura had relented to his incessant begging, he had thanked the gods for giving him at least one intelligent and sane subordinate.

"Yo. Everything alright at the hospital?" Kakashi asked, expecting Shizune to launch into a diatribe about either the lack of qualified staff or the fact that the council had yet again denied necessary funds to the hospital. The war-mongering council, since their shinobi days of many years ago, tended to view healers as unnecessary pests in a profession that demanded death and destruction. It seemed that it did not matter that were it not for the medics and the hospital, those old coots would not be alive today to be unnecessary pains-in-the-asses they were, Kakashi mused.

Shizune looked him straight in the eye. "Everything's under control at the hospital," she bit out with her customary answer, yet something in her expression did not sit well with Kakashi. Stress would be etched into the fine lines surrounding her eyes if the lack of medics was weighing heavily on her shoulders, and a firm frown would accentuate her shrinking lips if the council were being difficult yet again. However, her wrinkles and diminishing collagen production did not indicate anything about the two today; it was a dark look in the back of her eyes that made Kakashi sit up a little straighter.

"Well then, I'm biting. What's bothering you at the hospital?"

Shizune's mouth twisted into a grimace or humorless smile, depending on one's viewpoint, Kakashi supposed. "It's Sakura."

Kakashi's mind went blank at the mention of his favorite (not to mention only) female student. "Ah…what has Sakura done to stress you out enough to seek my authority? Unless she has joined the council and miraculously aged seventy years overnight, I did not thi—"

"It's not her, per say. Rather, the company she keeps…or perhaps I should say the company that follows her," Shizune elaborated.

The company that follows her…epiphany shined through a few seconds later in Kakashi's mind as he realized to whom Shizune was referring. "Has Juugo been a problem? According to Sakura, he is mild-mannered and disinclined to hurt others, and I trust her word, but if you say otherwise…you do outrank her."

Shizune shook her head, her mouth set in a firm line. "He hasn't been actively disruptive. He walks Sakura to the hospital, and an hour before the end of her scheduled shifts, he always is sitting in the lobby, waiting for her. He is polite to everyone, and he hasn't hurt anyone."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Many of the patients and medics are uncomfortable with him being there because…well…I don't think I need to explain that. And the medics who are not uncomfortable with him are constantly giggling and gossiping about him, if not daring each other to approach him."

"Once again: what's the problem? I can order your medics to be more focused on their work, but you could do that too. And I can't evict him from a public domain without good reason," his eye straying back to his novel. Good riddance, people could be overly dramatic, not to mention overly judgmental; had it not been for the potent combination of the two, his father would still be here today.

Shizune sighed loudly, causing Kakashi to look up yet again. At his raised eyebrow, she shook her head. "It's nothing, Hokage-sama. I apologize for taking up your time."

"Oh, it's nothing," Kakashi replied while reading, and with that, Shizune knew she was dismissed. When the door shut with a decisive click, Kakashi set his novel down. She had said nothing, but his senses were telling him it was not nothing. Something about Juugo and Sakura was bothering her, but what? From what he had seen and heard reported, Juugo was adjusting to life in Konoha marvelously; since his release from prison a month ago, he had not transformed and had yet to show any precursors to his transformation, and with Sakura's influence, he was growing more social, more talkative and less reticent. According to Sakura, she was close to finding something to repress the enzymes, so what could be the problem?

Kakashi slumped in his chair. Damn women, they were going to be the death of him.

* * *


	15. Joindre

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Joindre**

"You sure you still want to train today? It's balls hot," Genma commented, and Tenzou watched the senbon hanging from the corner of Genma's mouth bob up and down with each syllable. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but there's got to be something more comfortable we can do in this weather."

"I'm positive. It's been a while since my skills were used for anything other than rebuilding and suppressing the Kyuubi, so it'll be a nice refresher," Tenzou replied. "If you want, I can create a spring afterwards."

Genma chuckled as he thought of a cold shower after training in unbearably hot weather. "I might take you up on that offer," he said, walking past a rusty sign that read in bold, black letters, "Training Ground 3: Please be respectful and courteous to your fellow shinobi." No sooner had he said those words, he stopped abruptly, almost causing Tenzou to crash into him. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Judging by the smell, I'd say it's not tobacco they're smoking."

Tenzou squinted, following Genma's line of sight, to see his three subordinates and the captive resting in the shade of the three giant posts. Sakura passed something to Sai, and then Tenzou noticed the smell of smoke tainting the air. It was not the harsh, caustic smell of burning cigarettes, but neither was it the aromatic smell of incense. Tenzou frowned, squinting harder to see Sai pass whatever it was to Juugo on his left; what were they passing around? Somewhere in his mind, he duly noted that whatever they were passing around must have inhibited their senses since none of them had shown any sign of greeting him or Genma, which was odd considering their highly-developed awareness.

Genma was already walking towards his subordinates. "Oi, mind sharing?" he hollered out to the younger shinobi. Four heads sluggishly snapped towards his and Genma's direction, and three faces held culpable looks of "Oh shit, we got caught" plainly written on them while the fourth simply seemed dazed. Tenzou power-walked to gather with his supposed sparring partner and four grimy juniors with bloodshot eyes, and when he finally was at their sides, he saw exactly what they had been passing to each other. Something clicked in his mind.

"Is that a joint?" he screeched. "What are you four doing?"

"It's a dutch," Sakura giggled. "Here, want some?" she asked as she grabbed the blunt from Juugo, who sluggishly blinked in response, and waved it about.

Tenzou could only gawp in shock. He imagined the gods to be muffling their snickers and giggling in secret. "Sakura! To think the most responsible of the lot! You should be ashamed of yourself, for not only engaging in illegal activity but also for getting caught, and you're offering the drugs to me?" He would have continued, except Genma interrupted him by snatching it from her and taking a long drag. Several seconds passed before he exhaled.

"Damn, this is some good stuff. Blue Moonshine, am I right?" he asked. Tenzou could only stare in horror and silence.

"Yep," Naruto chimed in, "Only the best," his words heavy and slurred together.

Genma gave the four a large, lazy smile. "Not many kids enjoy the differences in variety when it comes to grass," he lectured. "Punks just want to get high, and don't really care as to what's better. I'm glad that at least you four know better."

"Philistines," Sai offered. Tenzou continued gaping, with the occasional splutter, at the five stoners; how long and how often had his team been smoking without him ever knowing?

"Mm hmm," Genma replied before taking two more long puffs. After exhaling the smoke, he took a look at the cigar-like _thing_—a joint or a doobie in Tenzou's personal vocabulary—in his hand. "Though I got to say, whoever rolled this doesn't know what he's doing."

Three fingers pointed at Juugo, who smiled like Sai. "It was his first time, though. How did you know it was one of us guys and not the girl?" Naruto asked. Poor Tenzou could barely make sense of what he was saying.

"Sakura's hands aren't big enough to roll a blunt. And stop calling this a joint, doobie, or whatever other synonym there is for that, 'cause that's not it Tenzou. It's a dutch," Genma replied, his speech beginning to slow down and his words beginning to stick to one another. "They're two completely different ways of smoking."

Tenzou's face burned in sheer mortification. He had not realized he had voiced his inner thoughts of complete horror, and that despite the fact that the five were stoned, they could clearly comprehend his words. Worse, the adult of the five was reprimanding him for using the incorrect terminology. The gods were probably openly giggling at his pain, some perhaps even doubled over in laughter.

"Not stoned," Sakura slurred, and Tenzou's face burned brighter. She pointed to an empty handle of shochu lying next to Naruto before explaining, "Skunked. Well, Genma's on his way to being stoned, but we're skunked."

He initially gave a few odd, choking sounds before finding his voice. "The difference being…?"

Genma gave a hearty laugh as Naruto snatched the weed from him and took a draw from it. "Damn, you kids sure know how to do it." Turning his bloodshot eyes to Tenzou, he clarified her statement, saying, "Skunked is drunk and high."

The ex-ANBU captain, who had seen a fair share of alcohol and illegal substances in his day, but never utilized by ones as young as his current team, stared at the four in complete shock. "How could you do this? I thought you were more responsible than _this_!" he finally shrieked, running his hands down his face. "You-you…this behavior…" He turned to Genma, accusations painted in his expression. "And you! You _idiot_, encouraging this behavior!"

After a long pause, Sai garbled something, which Tenzou translated to be something along the lines of "Well, you said to bond as a team. That's what we were doing." And then Juugo finally mumbled something, which Tenzou deciphered to be "What is he saying? All his words are mashed together and it feels like each second is an hour. And everything's blurry and flashing together."

Tenzou groaned while Genma giggled. Why did this have to happen to him?

"Hey, at least they're not doing coke," Genma deadpanned. "If they're old enough to go on assassination missions, they're old enough to dabble in some recreational activities to help relieve the stress. And stoners are good company…mellow, relaxed." He grabbed the blunt from Naruto and made a move to pass it to Tenzou. "Are you sure you don't want to try? Makes this heat more bearable."

Tenzou felt like crying. Something told him that none of the other teams had three stoners plus one whom they managed to corrupt, only his. The gods were most definitely on the floor, rolling in laughter and crying tears of mirth.

* * *


End file.
